Our History

In 1865 a primary school was opened at the corner of Dandenong Road and Clayton Road, to serve the whole of the Clayton district. The school was named Mulgrave Common School No. 734 and was once surrounded by farms and bushland and children walked or rode to school on horses. It was later renamed Clayton North Primary School in 1954.

The history of Clayton North Primary School

• 1865
  The school opened as a common school in 1865. It was known as Mulgrave Common School at the time. The first head teacher was Charles Nelson and there were 50 students enrolled.
• 1870s
  The school became a state school at some stage between 1873 and 1878. A new school building opened in 1875.
• 1889
  The name of the school changed to Clayton Road State School in 1889.
• 1894
  The school became an adjunct of Oakleigh State School (No. 1601).
• 1901
  The name of the school changed again to Clayton State School in 1901. Grades 1, 2 and 3 remained at Clayton’s Road while grades 4, 5, and 6 attended other schools in the area.
• 1906
  Clayton North became a separate school again. The head teacher at the time was E. Warriner.
• 1909
  Two new brick classrooms opened in 1909.
• 1954
  The name of the school was changed to Clayton North State School in 1954. A new school building on a new site opened the same year on Brown’s Road.
• 1965
  The school commemorated its 100th anniversary in 1965. The event was attended by 1,700 people many being ex-students.
• 1970s
  The school was renamed Clayton North Primary School in 1970.
  The 1970s were a time of expansion. A dedicated art room was established and the school oval had a major reconstruction.
• 1981
  Three out of 4 pupils were from migrant families and comprised of 30 different languages including Chinese, Italian, Greek and Indian. English as Second Language training was undertaken by staff.
• 1990
  The school marked its 125th anniversary in 1990. The school established a green and yellow uniform the same year.
• 2000
  A 3-stage redevelopment, including a building upgrade, started in 2000.
• 2006
  A breakfast club was established in 2006.
• 2007
  The school celebrated its first Harmony Day in 2007.
• 2009
  The school’s multipurpose room was refurbished in 2009.
• 2010
  A multicultural school garden was established in 2010.
• 2011
  A hen house was built in 2011.
• 2012
  The school was upgraded and a BER building was established.
  The school changed its school uniform to an orange shirt to symbolise harmony. The new logo featured multicultural hands representing caring and diverse cultures.
• 2015
  The school marked its 150th anniversary in 2015.
• Current
  Clayton North Primary School is still in operation.
  https://www.vic.gov.au/150-years-clayton-north-primary-school